Electric railway-train signal and recorder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-.Sheet 1.

F. H. BROWN. ELEGTRIG'RAILWAY TRAIN SIGNAL AND RECORDER.

No. l152,515. Patented Mey 19,1891.

INVENTOR,

A TTORNEY.

'me Nonms paens co., Paura-mno., wnsnmcnon. n, c.

,(No Model.)

2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

P. H. BROWN. ELECTRIC RAILWAY TRAIN SIGNAL AND RECORDER.

Patented May 19,1891.

. Y 1UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

FRED. II. BROWN, OF OI-IIOAGO, ILLINOIS.A

l ELECTRIC RAILWAY-TRAIN SIGNAL AND RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,515, dated May 19,1891. Application tiled December 3, 1890. Serial No. 373,46 7. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, ii; may concern:

Beit known that I, FRED. H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-TrainSignals and Recorders; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to an electric railway-train signal andrecorder; and the object of the invention is to automatically indicateto the operator in the train-dispatchers office the position andprogress of a railwaytrain and to enable the att-eudant to signal orcommunicate with the engineer on such train and notify him to stop thetrain, or impart such other signal or message as may be previouslyarranged. V

lith these ends in'view my invention consists in the combination ofdevices and novel construction and arrangement of parts, aswillbehereinafterfully described and claimed.

To enable Others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the samein the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a recorderto be located in the train-dispatches office. Fig. 2 is a View ofanother form of the recorder. Fig. 3 represents a general view ot' thesystem and the electric circuit in which the recording and signalingdevices are included. Figs. 4 and 5 represent two forms ofcircuitclosers by which the electric circuit can be closed by therapidly-moving train.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in allthe gures of the drawings, referring to which- A A designate theconductors of the electric circuit, and B the train-dispatchers officeor other station at which the position and progress ofv a railway-trainis to be recorded and from which the operator can signal the train.

The railway-track on which the train is moving is divided oit into aseries of sections, each of suitable length, under a system similar tothat known as the block-signal system, and I have provided an improvedrecording mechanism whereby the position and progress of the train isinstantaneously and automatically transmitted to the train-dispatchersoffice.

In each section or block. c of the system or track C (indicated in Fig.3) I provide two post-contacts or rail-contacts d d of the form shown ineither Figs. fi or 5, and this contact is in the circuit formed by theconductors A A. This electric circuit also includes. the primary batteryD for energizing the circuit when it is closed, said battery having agro und-wire e and a switch e', which normally bears on the contact e2,by which the ground connection from said primary battery is completedthrough the wire c. This primary bat-- tery and the switch are locatedat the traindispatchers office B, and at this ofce or station isprovided the recording device. (Shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.) Thisrecording device comprises, essentially, a scale or chart 1, dividedsimilarly to the tracks or sections c of the track, a traveling pointeror index 2, and electrically-controlled devices operating in synchronismwith the contacts CZ d and the circuit-closeron the moving train as itis carried past the series of contacts alongside of the track.

In the preferred embodiment of the recording mechanism the index orpointer is carried by a sliding toothed bar or rack 3, which isvarranged in juxtaposition to the scale, and is guided by suitable meansto move in a line parallel with the same, and with this toothed rack-barmeshes a gear-wheel 1I, which is rigid with a drum 5. To this drum isconnected a cord or chain ti, having a drop-weight 6 attached thereto,which weight operates to eX- erta constant pull or strain on the drum,and a. ratchet or pallet wheel 8 is also fixed to this drum, with whichenga-ges the pallet 9 of an armature-lever 10. This lever is fulcrumedat a point intermediate of its length, and one end of the lever isextended or arranged in such juxtaposition to the core of anelectromagnet 1l as to serve as the armature thereof, said magnet beingincluded in the electric circuit, as indicated. The pallet of thearmature-lever normally has one arm or end in engagement with thepallet-wheel to restrain the drum and drop-weight against movement; butas the circuit is closed through the contact c and the circuit-closerthe electro-mag- IOO net is energized and the armature-lever isattracied thereby,thus operating the pallet and allowing the drop-weightto move the drum one step or notch, whereby the rack or toothed bar isfed one step to cause the index to register a point in advance on thechart or scale, and thus indicate to the operator the position andprogress of a train.

F is the circuit-closer on the cab of the locomotive and which projectsbeyond the side of the cabin such position as to contact with thecontact (Z or d alongside of the track. 'lo this circuit-closer isconnected a groundwire f, which runs to an axle or wheelf of thelocomotive, so that the current is grounded through the wheel and a railof the track.

In connection with the recording devices and circuit I provide meanswhereby the operator at the train-dispatcherls office is enabled tosignal the engineer on the train.

In thecab of the locomotive I provide a visual or audible signal G,which may consist of an electric bell, as shown; or an incandescent lampor explosive torpedo may be employed to attract the attention of theengineer, and this signal is included in a shunt-circuit Il, formed bythe wires 7L h.

In the working or primary circuit formed by the conductors A A ef, Iprovide a mag net of high resistance or a resistance-coil I, to whichthe ground-wiref of the workin gcircuit is connected, and this coil ormagnet I is of such resistance that the current from the primary batteryis insuiiicient to energize the core of such magnet or coil, but willpass through the coil thereof in order to ground the current at thelocomotive.

Between the coil or magnet I and the circuit-closer F on the cab is acontact-spring l2, and the armature 18 and the contact l2 are arrangedin juxtaposition to the core of the coil or magnet I, so as to beattracted by said core when the magnet and core are energized by acurrent of high tension or electro-motive force from a battery .I ofgreater tension or force than the primary battery D of the circuit. Thisarmature I3 is pivoted at an intermediate point of its length andarranged between the lower contact l2 and another upper contact 12,sothat its opposite ends engage, respectively, with the two contacts. Tothe contact 12 is attached the wire h, which leads to the audible orvisual signal G, and from the signal leads the wire h', which isconnected to the ground-wire f at a point inside of the connectionbetween the ground-wire and the wheel or axle.

The battery Jis of much greater strength or tension than the primarybattery I), which is only employed under normal conditions to energizethe circuit and operate the recording device at the train-dispatche1"soflicc to indicate the position and progress of airain, the visual oraudible signal G being shunted normally out of the primary circuit. Thisstronger battery J has a ground-wire j and a contact j', which contactisclose to the switch c', and by moving the switch from the contact cl ofthe ground-wire c of the primary battery D, so as to bear upon thecontactj, the stronger battery .I is included in the primary circuit,whereby as the circuit-closer registers with one of the contacts rel ord along the track the current over the circuit will be sufficient toenergize the resistancecoil or highresistance magnet I and attract thearmature thereof, so as to close the shuntcircuit II and operate theaudible or visual signal, thereby notifying the engineer that.

the operator at headquarters has signaled him to stop the train, the.

In Fig. t et' the drawingsI have illustrated one Yform of track-contactd, which is placed at a suitable elevation above the track and ispivoted to a post erected alongside of the track, such contact extendingpartly across the track in the path of a circuit-closer on thelocomotive and being backed by a spiral or other spring toinsure aquickreturn movement thereof after the train has passed.

In the other form of track-contact (shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings) acurved spring is arranged in a horizontal position close to one of therails of the track, but it is suitably insulated from the track by postsof non-conducting material. In this horizontal lowdown form of contact Iemploy a circuit-closer, which depends from the cab of the locomotiveand which maybe in the form of abent spring; or it may have a roller ora brush on its lower end to ride upon the surface of the curved springcontact d, as preferred.

The operation of the invention may be briefly summarized as follows: Theswitch c rests normally on the contact c2 of the groundwire of theprimary battery I), and the signal G is normally shunted out of theprimary circuit. As the train passes from one section or block of thetrack to another section, the circuit-closer comes against the contact(l, thus closing the circuit and causing the battery D to energize themagnet Il, which attracts the armature and operates the pallet t) torelease the pallet-wheel 8 and allow the drum 5 to rotate one tooth ornotch and move the rack a corresponding distance and cause the index orpointer to indicate the position and progress of a train. The recordingdevice at the train-dispatchers oitice is thus operated in synchronismwith the opening and closing of the circuit by thecircuit-closerimpinging on the rail-contact d or d. If the operatordesires to signal the train after it has passed the contact d, of onesection, and he has been notified of such fact and the position of thetrain by the operation of the register, it is only necessary for him tomove the switch c ove r tothe contactj and include the stron ger battery.I in the primary circuit, so that as the train approaches the contact dof the same section or block of the track and the circuit-closerimpinges on said contact tl the shunt-circuit Il will be closed and thesignal G operated, thus notifying the engineer that IOO lIO

primary the operator has signaled him to stop the train or any othersignal previously agreed upon may be conveyed to the engineer.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have illustrated va modified form of therecording device by 1in connection with one chart 17, and the other sideof said band has another pointer lSpto register on another chart 19. Theendless band passes over the drum 5 and over an idler (or loosely7mounted) pulley 20, said parts being grooved to receive the band andinsure its retention and operation.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and detailsof construction of the mechanisms herein shown and described as anembodiment of my invention can be made Without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reservethe right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a primary elect-ric circuit, a track-contactincluded in said circuit, a circuit-closer carried by a train or othermoving body, a signal device included in a shunt-circuit, a resistanceincluded in the ground connection of the primary circuit, and a batteryof sufficient tension to overcomethe resistance and shunt the signalingdevice into the primary circuit,substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination of a primary electric circuit, a track-contactincluded in said circuit, a moving contact carried by a train or othermoving body and adapted to engage with said track-contact, a signalingdevice included in a shunt'circuit and carried by a train or movingbody, a resistance connected to the ground connection of the primarycircuit on the train or moving body, a batter of sufficient tension toovercome the resistance and shunt the signaling device into the circuit,and a switch for shunting the battery in and out of the primary circuit,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a primary circuit, a track-contact, a movingcontact or circuitcloser carried by a train or moving body and having aground connection, an electricallydevice included in the controlledrecording primary circuit to indicate the position ot' a train or movingbody, a battery normally included in said circuit to operate the saidrecording device as the circuit is made and broken, a signaling devicecarried by a train or moving body and included in a shunt-circuit aroundthe resistance, the resistance connected to the ground connection on thetrain of the primary circuit, and a battery adapted to be switched intothe primary circuit and of suflicient force or tension to overcome theresistance and shunt the signaling device into the primary circuit, forthe purpose described, substantially as set forth.

Il. The combination of a primary circuit, a track divided into a seriesof sections, each having one or more stationary contacts, a movingcontact or circuit-closer carried by a train or other moving body andhaving a ground connection through the wheel and track, anelectrically-controlled recording device included in the primary circuitand operated as the circuit is made or broken to indicate the positionand progress of a train or moving body, a battery normally included insaid primary circuit to operate said recording device, a signalingdevice carried by the train or moving body and included in ashuntcircuit thereon, the resistance coil or magnet included in theground connection of the moving contact or circuit-closer, anotherbattery of sufficient tension or force to overcome said resistance coilor magnet and shunt the signaling device `into the primary circuit, anda switch for shuntin said last-mentioned battery into and out of theprimary circuit, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a primary circuit including a track-contact, asignaling device carried by a train or moving body and included in ashunt-circuit, the moving contact or circuit-closer also carried by saidtrain or moving Abody and having a ground connection, theresistance-coil or high resistance magnet included in said groundconnection, the contacts connected, respectively, to the primary andshunt circuits, an armature arranged to be attracted by saidhigh-resistance magnet and to engage said contacts, and a batteryincluded in the primary circuit of sufficient tension-to energize theresistancecoil and close the shunt-circuit to include the signalingdevice in the primary circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED. H. BROVN.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, H. T. BERNHARD.

IOO

